Introduction:

Curiosity encouraged is a 7 week series based on the questions YOU asked.
Some of the topics have been taught before and our team is going to provide links for you each week.
Some of the topics are hot-button topics and have the potential to illicit strong responses.
Some of these topics will be great fun and some will be heavy.
We are looking forward to diving into these subjects with you during the next seven weeks:

Week 1: Eschatology
Week 2: When does life begin: IVF, Birth Control, Abortion
Week 3: Old Testament Oddities
Week 4: Spiritual Gifts & The Holy Spirit
Week 5: Land Before Time: So how old is the earth?
Week 6: Church Hurt
Week 7: Open-Handed Issues

#ESCHATOLOGY

Eschatology: Eschatos - last Logos - word —> Study of the Last Things

I. What Christians Agree On:

1. Jesus is Coming Back - bodily, visibly, unexpectedly, imminently

• Acts 1:11
• John 14:1-3
• Matthew 24:44
• Matthew 25:13
• Mark 13:32-37
• Luke 12:40

2. Jesus is coming back to judge - Revelation 20:11-15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Acts 10:42

Believers:
• Romans 14:10-12
• 2 Corinthians 5:10
• 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Unbelievers:
• Romans 2:5-7
• Revelation 20:12-13

3. Jesus is coming back to rule - God will rule and be worshipped in a good and perfect kingdom without end.

II. What Christians Differ On:

1. Millennium
2. Tribulation
3. Rapture
4. Israel & The Church

1. THE MILLENNIUM - Revelation 20:1-3
• Pre-Millennialism
- Historic
- Dispensational
• Post-Millennialism
• A-Millennialism
- Symbolism & Figurative Language
- Satan Bound - Matthew 12:29
- 1 Resurrection - John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Daniel 12:2

2. THE TRIBULATION - Matthew 24:21
• It is happening now
• Christians will not experience it
• It is happening now and getting worse

3. THE RAPTURE - 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
• A secret Rapture to remove the Church prior to the Great Tribulation
• A public Rapture for Christians to meet Christ in the air and immediately and triumphantly usher Him into His own.

4. ISRAEL & THE CHURCH
• God has a separate salvific program for Israel and the Church
• God has one people and one plan of Salvation uniting true believers of Jewish and Gentile descent into the true spiritual Israel of God

III. WHY?

• The Church is in trouble, but her King is coming to rescue her.
• Be ready in holiness, and prayerful labor for the kingdom.
• Hope and Comfort for a suffering people:
- We will win in the end!
- Justice is coming.
- Righteousness is coming.
- Love is coming.
- JESUS IS COMING!

#CG QUESTIONS:
• Discuss the WHY? of Apocalyptic Literature? How can we be moved to holiness, action and hope through this type of Biblical content?
• How did your family or your friends or a previous church approach the subject of Eschatology? What was helpful/unhelpful in their approach?
• What questions did this sermon answer for you?
• What additional questions did the sermon create for you?
• Pray that our community can be hope and light!